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May 15, 2009, 9:38 PM - I am new and am posting because i found this helmet...#1

Ok so I am a senior in college and have always been an avid star wars fan. This is why I was so happy when my roommate showed up one day with a storm trooper helmet he found in his attic. The thing is very old. The plastic is warped and colors off. Guessing from the heat in the attic. His brother is 15 or so years older than us and his best guess is that it was his. We have spent the last 2 years funnel beers and acting like morons with it. College has come to an end and he gave it to me since out of all out friends I am by far the biggest star wars geek and definately loved wearing it the most. I am now wondering where exactly it came from and if there is any history behind it. The only marking it has is "20th century fox" chiseled on the back

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slave1pilot

May 15, 2009, 9:57 PM - Re: I am new and am posting because i found this helmet...#2

Don Post Studios

The original license for replica Star Wars helmets was granted to Don Post Studios in 1977. Their worldwide license covered vinyl and plastic helmets of the pull-over variety and not the simple, one-piece Halloween-style masks that retailed for much less. In the 22 years that Don Post Studios held their license (1977 to1999) there were three types of Stormtrooper helmets produced - Standard, Deluxe and Classic Action.

The first Stormtrooper Standard helmet to be released was in 1977 for $39.95, with a revised version with clear lenses in 1978. Several re-releases of the 1978 helmet were issued between 1988 and 1990, each having slight changes to make them unique. Says Steve Sansweet in his "Price Guide to Worldwide Star Wars Collectibles": Stormtrooper helmets were injection-molded in heavy PVC plastic with dark lenses in 1977. The Twentieth Century Fox copyright was molded on the back of the helmet. They were revised in '79 with lighter PVC plastic, and had clear lenses. The lenses were glued in on both versions. The third version of the Stormtrooper mask, first produced in 1988, was a slightly different shape, because new plastic used reacted to the mold differently. The eyes were no longer separate pieces of smoky-colored plastic, and were painted black with many holes drilled for vision. The 1989-90 version replaced the foam band around the front of the helmet with a molded-in piece. All variations of the Stormtrooper mask have a tendency to yellow with age, as a result of the plastic used. A new 1994-96 version of the mask will show the LFL copyright, and will once again have clear plastic eye lenses."

The Don Post Studios limited edition (with only 1000 made worldwide) Deluxe Stormtrooper helmets released in 1996 retailed between $600 - $750. They were moulded from fibreglass as a single pieces, making them very robust, extremely heavy and almost too uncomfortable to wear as a costume piece. These Deluxe helmets have a reflective symmetry (meaning that the left side is a mirror of the right side) to them that the screen-used helmets didn't have. The commonly accepted explanation is that Don Post Studios made a mould from one half of the helmet loaned out by Lucasfilm Ltd, and then used a rotoscope to copy this half to make the other side. Whether this is true or not is is unclear.
Released at the same time as the Deluxe version, the Classic Action Stormtrooper helmet used the same mould as it's more expensive brother but was moulded from vinyl and constructed as a two piece helmet. This is one of the most popular costume pieces and can still be found being sold on the retail market because it is less costly, is lighter and came fitted with foam padding.

May 17, 2009, 10:23 PM - Re: I am new and am posting because i found this helmet...#3

Interesting. I am guessing its the first one then since its pretty old. It also has a large number 4 sprayed on the top of the inside. Dunno if that means anything. Are these collectibles? I do not really have any intention of selling it cause of sentimental value, but are these worth any thing.